Sonnet Interpretation in the 20th Century Vocal Chamber Music: Word–Sound, Score–Performance

Doctoral student: Paulė Gudinaitė
Supervisors: Prof. Irena Uss-Armonienė, Prof. Dr. Rūta Stanevičiūtė-Kelmickienė
Department: Accompanying Piano
Duration: 2013–2017

Abstract

Paulė Gudinaitė / photo Igor Bakan

Developed in the 13^th century and challenging poetic fantasy up to nowadays the literary sonnet is one of the most sophisticated and complicated poetic forms. Meanwhile, in music, as a genre or a form has not been specifically identified the sonnet draws up a small part of vocal chamber music.

In the present artistic research paper, the 20^th century vocal chamber music compositions written on the poetical basis of literary sonnet, are being analyzed from the compositional (creation / composer’s text) and interpretive (performance / performative text) aspects. The theoretical model is used that was created for this research, which integrates theoretical approach of ekphrasis and intersemiotic translation. Employing historical, descriptive, analytical, comparative, critical methods of scientific literature, and complex analysis of musical compositions and empirical analysis methods of music recordings the literary sonnet musical interpretations (composition and performance) have been disclosed as the characteristics of translation practice from the genre, historical, and cultural aspects. In the theoretical context of translation sequentially exposing the interpretive link of the sonnet (word–sound, score–performance) two exceptional on cultural interpretation vocal cycles by Benjamin Britten: Seven Sonnets of Michelangelo for tenor and piano Op. 22, lyrics by M. Buonarroti (1940) and The Holy Sonnets of John Donne for high voice and piano Op. 35, lyrics by J. Donne (1945), are highlighting the macro- and microstructures translation strategies of both the composer and the performers.